Worsening geopolitical situation fails to dampen spirit of students migrating to strife-torn countries

It seems the rising geopolitical violence in many parts of the world does not deter rising student migration from India. Amid continuing wars and escalating violence in many countries, the students’ outmigration is steadily going on, including to strife-torn countries like Russia, Ukraine, Israel, and Bangladesh. So is the case with Ukraine, although there is a marginal decrease, which had an enrolment of 23,515 students in 2022, followed by 11,987 students in 2023, and as per the data in January 2024, 2,510 students pursued higher education in the war-torn country, from where the Indian mission had evacuated students in 2022 following the war. To middle-income countries Speaking to The Hindu, Ajith Kolassery, Chief Executive Officer of the Department of Non-Resident Keralites Affairs, the State government agency that works for the welfare of the expatriates from the State, said, “A good number of the students who migrated to these middle-income countries belong to either middle class or low-income families.” For them, the cost factor is the major driving force to opt for higher education in these countries, where higher education is relatively cheap compared to self-finance education in India, said Mr. Kolassery Second, easy entry without any major procedural hurdles and the privileges offered by the host countries, where higher education is purely a business are the major factors contributing to the migration to these countries. Higher education a big money-spinning business, and there is a huge network for them both in India and in the host countries to facilitate the student migrations,” added Mr. Kolassery.